Hi all, I graduated with an MMath degree in 2014 (got a 1st) and after an unsuccessful attempt at a PhD straight afterwards, I terminated my studies and then started training to become a teacher. I've gotten through my training, and my first year post-qualifying (which was horrible) and although I feel much more confident about my work and I do get some enjoyment out of it, even since I started teaching I have been having major reservations about whether a teaching career is right for me in the long run. This is partly due to the long hours, emotionally draining aspect of the job and also that it can play havoc with my mental health. Furthermore, even though I am not far at all in my teaching career, I feel like I would not be realising my potential if I stuck with teaching and that given my background I may be able to access a more lucrative and more technically-orientated career.

When I did my first Master's degree I was very unsure what my specialism should be, so I chose mostly applied maths modules. I quite like the sound of mathematical modelling (as this links quite nicely with my background) but it has been years since I've actually used any of the mathematics I learned (loosely) during my degree and teaching does take away a lot of the energy and motivation to actually look into higher level mathematics. I feel like the only way I can advance my career is to do a second MSc (e.g. Computational Mathematics or Mathematical Modelling) preferably with some industrial experience, but funding would be the main issue.

Are there any funded mathematics MSc programmes or scholarships that allow one to access a second MSc to facilitate a career change?

(Original post by omegaSQU4RED)
Hi all, I graduated with an MMath degree in 2014 (got a 1st) and after an unsuccessful attempt at a PhD straight afterwards, I terminated my studies and then started training to become a teacher. I've gotten through my training, and my first year post-qualifying (which was horrible) and although I feel much more confident about my work and I do get some enjoyment out of it, even since I started teaching I have been having major reservations about whether a teaching career is right for me in the long run. This is partly due to the long hours, emotionally draining aspect of the job and also that it can play havoc with my mental health. Furthermore, even though I am not far at all in my teaching career, I feel like I would not be realising my potential if I stuck with teaching and that given my background I may be able to access a more lucrative and more technically-orientated career.

When I did my first Master's degree I was very unsure what my specialism should be, so I chose mostly applied maths modules. I quite like the sound of mathematical modelling (as this links quite nicely with my background) but it has been years since I've actually used any of the mathematics I learned (loosely) during my degree and teaching does take away a lot of the energy and motivation to actually look into higher level mathematics. I feel like the only way I can advance my career is to do a second MSc (e.g. Computational Mathematics or Mathematical Modelling) preferably with some industrial experience, but funding would be the main issue.

Are there any funded mathematics MSc programmes or scholarships that allow one to access a second MSc to facilitate a career change?

You're likely to be competing for money from the general funding pot, which is small at masters level (departmental/uni funding, funding trusts, research councils). Since its STEM, there's like to be a little more funding available, but readily available funding tends not to materialize until PhD and it's competitive even then.

Theres no central database for this or anything like that, so you'll have to travel through websites and do some research. There's an index of funding opportunities in this forum (sticky thread) at the top, and jobs.ac.uk might be worth a look. As you're probably aware, since you already have a master's degree you won't be eligible for the postgraduate loan.